Hard Work Final: Sunday Game Recaps

17u: All In Figueroa 72 vs Minnesota Comets-JL - 56

This All In squad from Illinois took an opening round loss in the Platinum round of 64 to Minnesota Select-Cave, but had been rolling through the Passion bracket since. This game was was another double-digit win for All In, and once again, it was Glenwood South wing Dominic Martinelli that was most impressive. He has an unbelievable touch to his game, everything he puts up around the rim seems to drop, on top of that he carries that precision out to the 3-point line. He finished with a game-high 29 points. The Comets were certainly a talented bunch, and were especially adept from deep, where they connected on 12 3s in this one. The athleticism of the Illinois crew was too much to overcome, though. Shout out to Stevenson's RJ Holmes for putting in a huge slam and catching a body in the process. 

17u: Mid Michigan Elite 64 vs Waterloo Salvation 43

An extremely well-coached and cohesive Mid Michigan Elite unit was impressive in this wire-to-wire win over an athletic Waterloo squad. The guys from Iowa could never find their footing in this one, and the Michigan team held a steady double-digit lead for most of  it. With 10 minutes left in the game, Salvation trailed by 10 and seemed capable of making a comeback then, instead it was the Michigan guys that rose to the occasion, and extended the lead to 20 in mere minutes. It was Will Jerzak that led the way for Mid Michigan, he put in 15 first half points and finished with a game-high 17 by running the floor and finishing extremely well. Waterloo West wing Caleb Haag led the way for Iowa with 11 points, displaying a versatile skill-set by hitting two triples and throwing down an athletic dunk. 

16u FINAL: Team Factory Gold 69 vs Minnesota Heat-Tauer 61

It's been nothing short of an amazing spring and summer run for this Team Factory squad out of Nebraska. They've won a handful of tournaments behind their leader and ultra-skilled point guard Chucky Hepburn. He scored a team-high 20 points in this hard-fought win, and we're convinced that he's not just one of the best point guards in the Midwest, but in the country. The final score in this one is a bit misleading, it was extremely tight throughout; 33-33 at halftime, and 52-52 late in the game before a 6-0 run by Team Factory gave them the separation they needed to finish it out. Frankie Fidler has been a key player for the Nebraska squad all season, the 6'6 shooting guard hit some huge 3s down the stretch and finished with 18 points; he and Hepburn will make up a dynamic duo at Bellevue West the next two seasons. This Heat squad was led by quick and clever guard Ryan Dufault, who scored 18 and 6'8 forward Will Tschetter who impressively poured in a game-high 27 points. Andrew Morgan had two of the most eye-opening plays of the game with a massive pin-block against the backboard and a huge power slam over and through guys. But there was no question who the best player on the floor was in this one, and that's Hepburn. 

17u FINAL: Wisconsin Rap 85 vs Minnesota Comets Elite 74

The guys from Wisconsin started the game strong and finished it the same way, using an especially strong performance from 6-foot St. John's Northwestern Military Academy point guard Gerald Gittens Jr., who put in 31 points to help secure the win. Gittens was exceptional, showcasing some of the best finishing ability we've seen all spring and summer and adding a tight handle and high-level quickness to boot. At times, he looked like the best player on a court chock-full of Division I prospects. West Allis Central's Vernon Bowles is a lengthy and athletic forward, who provided the rebounding and rim protection needed for Rap. A rising junior playing up a grade, 6'1 guard Brandin Podziemski will be a guy to keep a close eye on, he's a confident sniper who scored 17 in the win. The guys from Minnesota showed a lot of toughness, especially Noah Puetz, a 6'4 Marshall rising senior who scored 12 first half points and was essential in helping the Comets erase an early 13-2 deficit to make it a tight one throughout the final three-fourths of the game.